1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a solid-state image pickup apparatus having a photoelectric conversion function.
2. Related Background Art
Conventionally, a conventional solid-state image pickup apparatus extends the dynamic range by, e.g., reading out two kinds of signals with different accumulation periods from one pixel and combining the two kinds of signals, i.e., combining a signal having high sensitivity but narrow dynamic range with a signal having low sensitivity but wide dynamic range.
In this method, after signal charges are accumulated in a given accumulation period, signal charges must be accumulated again in another accumulation period. For this reason, image signals with different accumulation periods are obtained.